Diner
by 2queens1prince
Summary: A lilacmermaid one shot.


AN: I have a few more of these fluffy little one shots. I hope you are finding them enjoyable. Please share your thoughts.

Elizabeth Adams wandered into the diner at the edge of campus just before 5am. It was her first midterm week and even though she thought she had been keeping up with her studies, she still felt like she was woefully unprepared. She couldn't exactly remember the last time she slept more than an hour, but she just had to make it through this last exam. It was at 8 and she was terrified that if she stopped moving for too long, she would fall asleep and miss her test.

Plopping herself up on the barstool, Elizabeth propped her head on her hand, hoping that it wasn't possible to overdose on coffee. A tall, muscular man stepped out of the kitchen and smiled widely. "Good morning," he said, chipperness oozing in his voice.

Elizabeth shifted her head just enough that she could peer at the man through the few tendrils of hair that had fallen out of her ponytail. She briefly wondered when she last combed her hair, or washed her hair, or showered. Suddenly, Elizabeth popped up and shook her head violently, trying to get her thoughts to quit tumbling around aimlessly. "Sorry. Yeah. Good morning," she said, finally uttering the socially acceptable response. "Coffee please. And what do you have in the way of cake? "

The man looked at her curiously. "It's 5am. You want cake?"

Elizabeth shrugged. "I like morning cake. And afternoon cake. And cake at night. And-"

"You like cake. I get it." He went the carousel and called out the options. "I've got carrot, chocolate zucchini, and apple crumb cake."

"What the hell is it with sticking fruits and vegetables in the cake? Can't cake just be cake?" she muttered.

Her eyes slipped closed, but opened when she heard the sound of the saucer scraping across the bar. The man disappeared into the kitchen. Elizabeth had just stirred two packets of sugar and a tiny container of cream into her coffee when he returned with a large square of white birthday cake on a plate. "Cake that's just cake," he replied to her unasked question. "But since you've probably been running on carbs only for the past few days, how about I fix you breakfast?" Elizabeth's mouth dropped open, but before she could speak, he added, "Can vegetables go in your omelet?" She nodded. He motioned her around the end of the bar. "If you're looking to stay awake, you can keep me company while you eat your cake." He smiled again. He was handsome.

"I don't make it a habit of going off with guys I don't know," she said, surprised that her voice had taken on a kind of flirty lilt.

He laughed. "Good thinking. I'm Henry McCord. I'm a first year grad student, Religious Studies." She shook the hand he extended and sat there, her brain still not quite functioning in it's sleep deprived state. "And you are?" he prompted.

"Oh, Elizabeth Adams. I'm a freshman, math major and I'll pick up a second major, maybe international politics."

Henry gave her a quick nod, taking her coffee and cake, and pushed a hip into the swinging door that led to the kitchen. "Come on," he instructed whipping his head toward the kitchen.

Elizabeth found herself sitting on the counter next to the grill while Henry worked his magic. She ate her cake and they chatted about unimportant things. She was fascinated at the ease in which he worked. Within a few minutes, she had a western omelet and hash browns to accompany her cake. Henry sat with Elizabeth at the bar for a few minutes until 5:45, when a couple vehicles pulled into the lot. She had just finished her breakfast and yawned.

"When is your class?" he asked.

"8. I'm just going to hang out by the door so I don't fall asleep and miss my midterm.'

Henry wrinkled his forehead. "I've got a better idea." He stood and she just looked at him. "Come on." Elizabeth followed Henry to the diner's break room. There was a long leather couch along the wall with a few throw pillows. "Take a nap. I'll wake you at 7:30 when I get done with my shift."

Elizabeth looked skeptical. "You're sure? You won't let me oversleep?" He shook his head. She studied his kind eyes. "Thank you." She looked at him one last time. "7:30, right?"

"Pinky swear," he said, holding out his pinky to her. She grinned and locked her pinky with his. "Now, you're wasting time. Go to sleep." She laughed as she laid down and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

A hand on her shoulder shook her from slumber. "Elizabeth. Sleepyhead, wake up." The voice was low and melodic. She pushed herself to a sitting position, and rubbed her eyes, trying to focus. "It's 7:30. You have your midterm in half an hour."

"Right," she said as she yawned. "Thanks." Henry offered her a hand and pulled her to stand. Handing her a cup of coffee and her messenger bag, he pointed the way out of the back of the diner.

"I'm going that direction. I'll walk with you." He slung his backpack over his shoulder, and they walked together in the brisk air that filled the October morning. They walked most of the way in silence.

"Oh crap! I forgot to pay for my stuff this morning." Elizabeth looked at Henry, mortified.

"Don't worry about it. I took care of it." He smiled and she couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you. You have been very kind."

"I'd like to think of it as our first date." He watched the surprise flood her face, followed by the blush. They found themselves standing at the steps of the humanities building. "I'd be very happy if there might be a second date, perhaps one in which I wasn't working and you weren't sleeping."

She gave him a slight smile. "I think I'd like that." Without breaking eye contact, she fished an ink pen from her bag. Taking hold of his hand, she scribbled her phone number on his palm. "Call me sometime."

He looked down at his hand. "Is this afternoon too soon?"

"Late this afternoon. I need to get some sleep. I definitely want to be awake for the entirety of our second date."

"Absolutely. Good luck on your test." Henry leaned in with the intention of kissing her forehead, but she quickly rose up on her tiptoes and met his lips with her own.

A wicked grin crossed her face. "See you sooner than later," she said and skipped up the steps into the building. Henry turned and started walking back across campus to go home and take a nap before his afternoon classes. A wide smile covered his face. He had just worked the best overnight shift of his life.

Madam Secretary Prompt: When Elizabeth & Henry meet for the first time, it's not even 7:00 in the morning.


End file.
